Why bus crash victims are joining campaign to free driver

Jack Aston is a bus driver from Ballarat who is paying a high price after he drove into Melbourne's notoriously low Montague Street Bridge, injuring six of the 14 passengers on board in February 2016.

It was a bad accident, however, the remarkable part of this case is that practically no-one involved, including the victims, want Jack behind bars.

The father-of-two is serving a maximum of five years and three months in jail, however his family, victims, and even his employer have told A Current Affair this punishment is too harsh, particularly considering some other criminals – even those who have caused death – are handed a lighter sentence.

"We tend to forget that it was an accident and he didn't intend for this to happen," Kathy Apostolidis told reporter Reid Butler.

Kathy was sitting towards the front of the bus the day of the crash and suffered serious injuries, some of which she is still recovering from today. She thought the sentence would bring her closure but instead she was shocked, thinking Jack would serve community service, not years behind bars.

While the road to recovery and acceptance hasn't been easy, nor is Kathy one for a sob story, her message is one of compassion: everyone is a victim in this situation.

Jack's job is even there once he is released from jail, should he want it, according to the company's director Peter McKenzie.

"There's nothing we would like to see more than Jack released and returned home to his family," he told A Current Affair.

Jack has now served eight months but momentum is building and the calls for his freedom are growing louder. His family have just received the good news that the date for his appeal has finally been set after many months of waiting.